Nissan Leaf with STARPATH glow-in-the-dark paint

Thanks to the magic of strontium aluminate, a rare earth metal, this Leaf glows after dark. Nissan's doing it to highlight the car's role in raising awareness of home solar energy production.

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Nissan Leaf with STARPATH glow-in-the-dark paint

Sure, whatever. The glow-in-the-dark coating is neat, and this is the first time it's been applied to a car by a manufacturer, according to Nissan. Maybe it'll catch on.

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Nissan Leaf with STARPATH glow-in-the-dark paint

It begs the question, how much does a coating of STARPATH, as the stuff is called, cost? Nissan didn't say, but they will admit that if the coating were commercially available it would last an astonishing 25 years.

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Nissan Leaf with STARPATH glow-in-the-dark paint

Like most glow-in-the-dark pigments, it absorbs UV energy and emits it later. A day's worth of sunlight would mean 8-10 hours of glow after dark.

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Nissan Leaf with STARPATH glow-in-the-dark paint

The stunt was pulled off by Nissan's UK operations, where subsidies make solar attractive. No telling whether Nissan will try to introduce STARPATH-painted cars here, or anywhere. It's a stunt, but a neat one.